Debris blowers (including convertible blower/vacuum units (also referred to herein as “blower/vacs”)) are commonly used by homeowners and professionals alike for the removal of debris from yards, driveways, sidewalks, etc. As used herein, a convertible blower/vac is a device which can be configured for use as either a debris blower or debris vacuum. When used as a vacuum, vacuum attachments coupled to a housing of the blower/vac permit leaves or similar debris to be vacuumed into an attached bag or other debris container.
Blower/vacs configured as blowers (as well as dedicated “blower-only” devices) may produce a fast moving stream of air generated by a rotating impeller located within the blower housing. The impeller draws air into the housing through an air entrance and exhausts an accelerated air stream through an air exit. The air stream is often channeled through a tapered blower tube. In addition to providing a more precisely focused air stream, the tapered blower tube may also contribute to an air stream of greater velocity. By manually moving the blower slightly side-to-side, the air stream generated by the blower may effectively “sweep” debris along a ground surface (e.g., hardscape such as a sidewalk or the like).
While operator movement of the blower is effective in providing the desired sweeping motion, drawbacks exist. For example, except for very narrow surfaces, continuous operator motion is needed to ensure effective sweeping over the target area. Once again, while lightweight blowers permit such continuous motion with minimal operator fatigue, some users may benefit from a blower that can provide the desired sweeping motion with little or no operator manipulation.
Such a motion could be accommodated by a nozzle that mechanically directs the air stream side-to-side. While effective, such a nozzle may require multiple moving parts and may further be relatively expensive to produce as compared to a conventional blower nozzle.